Consignees such as retailers are requiring that vendors, form whom they purchase products, ship the products in containers marked with a shipping label that includes specific information in a specific format. Many consignees are also requiring that the vendors send an advance shipping notice that includes specific information in a specific format. If the shipping label and/or advance shipping notice do not comply with the consignee's requirements, the consignee may impose penalties on the vendor. The information as well as the format thereof required for the shipping label and advance shipping notice varies from consignee to consignee, however. When a vendor is shipping products to more than one consignee, the processing of purchase orders in compliance with the diverse requirements of the various consignees becomes very difficult increasing the likelihood of errors in the shipping label and/or advance shipping notice.